Wander for Love
by y-ye
Summary: In a world of wandering gods, human worship is what keeps them going. Their role is to keep the seasons moving throughout the world. They are allowed a chance to rest only when in the throes of mutual love, where they are given human form. These are a select few stories of when a wandering god falls in love...


Running claws through the snow, the dragon waited patiently in front of the shrine. Winter was usually a season for seeking out towns in need and taking what was there to rejuvenate what was lacking. Of course this one would be no different, except... Daichi longed for a companion. It wasn't uncommon to demand a 'sacrifice' from the towns that pleaded for help, but Daichi had never done so before.

Which was why claws stirred the snow restlessly as the time for the human to arrive drew near. Nerves kept scales scalding hot, liquefying the snow instantly upon contact. What would the sacrifice be like? Would the woman be tall and fair, short and plump, towering and commanding? How old would they be? Would they listen to what words Daichi had to say, or cower?

Perhaps it would be best to send a cowering one back. Daichi wanted a conversation, after all, not someone to reassure the power that laid deep in flesh.

Just as the snow had all but escaped from the clearing, crunching steps alerted Daichi to the approaching human. Settling back proudly on his haunches, Daichi stilled in anticipation.

Out of the treeline came a silver haired boy, surely not yet broken out of his teens. The clothes were a familiar sort, yukata and various layers. There was also an odd cloth wrapped around the boy's left eye, and the other was lowered to the ground in resignation. The only skin showing outside the face were boney hands. Something in Daichi wanted to snarl- a woman was traditional and yet they had sent a boy. Boys were not said to be good companions, would not listen out of duty. This one didn't look healthy either.

"Change!" Daichi roared, but the boy did not waver. "I asked for a woman as tradition dictates. A tired kid like you should be at home and the one who I called for here."

"...I can't go back."

"Go back. Send a woman." It seemed simple enough. Besides, humans were usually relieved to have a chance to scramble out of sight. Surely the boy would want to be back home.

"There are no woman to send from the town, god. I wouldn't have come otherwise." The boy's lone eye gazed steadily at him now, bravery coating the fear in his eye. "You have come all the way to our town, so we heeded tradition to give you a sacrifice, and I was chosen. Please... Have mercy."

Studying the boy closely, he noted the shaking that wasn't a symptom of the cold. He did well to stand so tall in front of a dragon god even with such fear. Still, he was but a brat. Rising to his feet, Daichi approached the boy. As the snow melted under his claws, grass and wildflowers sprung forth. A natural power that exuded from the very body of a wandering god.

"That makes no sense! If there are no women, who accompanies the men in your town? Who do they confide in?" The boy lowered his eye only then, shakes doubling.

"It was me." Silence held the air for a few long moments as Daichi tried to take this in. "Still, I cannot make a child. Surely the town will not survive much longer when the workers leave, by death or by want."

Ah. There was guilt on the brat's face, and relief too.

"I understand now." Approaching the child, he stopped a mere a foots length away, he sighed warm breath on his chapped face. "Poor child."

Close enough to truly study the brat's features, he could understand why he was sent. His face was comparable to a woman's; no hair on his face, eyes a bit wider than typical for the males in this region, and something beautiful about the way he held himself. The pleasant surprise on the child's face made him even more so.

"W-would you like me to take off my clothes?"

"Hn? What ever for? It's too cold out here to think of that." Turning away from the boy, he observed the area before the shrine critically. Magic had already made the surrounding area start turning into spring. There was still a slight bite to the air, but the shrine would be warm from when he had pressed against it earlier. "Go inside the shrine for now."

"Uh- Um!"

"What!" Turning around, he saw the panicked expression and paused.

"Aren't you gonna eat me?" A sly smirk formed over Daichi's face as he considered the words, and opened his maw as far as it would allow and reached for the boy. Snatching the boy by the front of his clothing, he tossed the stubborn child into the shrine in one fluid motion.

"I wasn't going to eat you. What tales have the towns made in my absence?" Huffing another warm breath in the child's face, he laughed. "A sacrifice is not for eating, boy. They are for companionship. That said..." He backed his head out of the shrine, holding his front paws together hesitantly. "...What is your name?"

"Su- Sugawara Koushi," Sugawara admitted while staring at Daichi with boggled fascination. "And yours is... Daichi?"

"Daichi Sawamura, yes." A fond look fell over his face. "Suga... Well. Tell me something." Turning around to face the snow beyond the clearing, he turned far more serious. "How long has it been snowing?"

o~o~o

Daichi set about cleaning up after the winter that had gone on for far too long. Using Sugawara as a guide, they traversed the surrounding land to thaw it.

It wasn't that Daichi particularly needed a guide with his particular ability to See. But it was much nicer with company. Sugawara delicately handled the flowers let in Daichi's wake, admiring the new life with soft eyes. He often had something to say as well, be it a question or a comment. Daichi couldn't help but answer each one.

It took no more than two weeks for the area to be completely full of spring. Sugawara took to searching for food on his own now, bringing back all sorts of food. The most surprising had been the day he'd come back with a fish almost as big as him torso, flailing in his arms. A grin brighter and warmer than the sun filled his face.

"This'll feed us for a week, at least! And if we salt it right it'll last even longer!"

"Oh?"

"Yeah! I had to wrestle with it in the end, Daichi. But I still caught it!"

Sugawara was blindingly bright, sometimes. Now he even remembered to try and offer Daichi food every night. He never took it. There was no need for him to eat such things with the belief blanketing the area, a startlingly affectionate kind that exuded from Sugawara was particularly fulfilling.

There were many things about Sugawara that hadn't been obvious when they'd first met. He was a very physical guy, preferring to catch fish by hand or net, he asked after the others even if they hadn't been kind to him, and he thought fondly of those younger than him. A natural leader of some sort- perhaps more so when he had someone to coordinate with. He wanted children one day- that much was obvious now. Daichi pondered the thought while Sugawara slept in the shrine.

Sugawara's favorite place to be was the now thawed river. He liked to feel the current and the smaller fish brush against him feet. Daichi curled up behind him then, dipping his tail into the water for no reason he could think of.

Suga would lean back into his flank then, glancing at him curiously. When Daichi swallowed and looked back, Suga would smile that silly smile again and Daichi would melt. It was unlike a proud dragon such as Daichi to be so spellbound by a sacrifice. He feared one day Sugawara would ask something of him, and he'd be unable to refuse.

"Y'know," Suga said after a small pause, "It's more fun being with you than I had thought, Daichi. Maybe it was because I thought I was gonna be eaten when I first came here." A sincere laugh followed his statement and Suga slowly churned his feet through the water in loose circles. "Much nicer than back in the town. Daichi... I pray for their happiness. Do you think it will come?"

"Hmm. I suppose..."

The other problem of the town came back to Daichi's awareness a month into summer when Sugawara was out gathering wood for a fire. Curled up in front of the shrine, he eyes were opalescent as he used his Sight to watch Suga complete the task, an early habit that hadn't quite faded long after he'd trusted Suga wouldn't run off.

His mouth curled into a snarl as he observed two of the townspeople approach. Suga didn't express any sort of desire to meet with them. In fact, the boy seemed to avoid talking about the town aside from asking him to continue to bless them with spring.

He could not hear what they had to say, but as Suga started to back away and dropped the bundled firewood to scatter on the forest floor, Daichi leaped into action.

Scrambling towards where he knew they were, his ears started to pick up the sounds of a scuffle and Suga's protests.

"No! I told you no! I won't anymore-"

"Just one more time, Sugawara, just once more," A rough voice said in a mockery of a plea.

Finally seeing the scene before him, Daichi's roar of fury cause the two men to back away. Suga's yukata had been shoved up unceremoniously and bunched at his waist. There were tears flowing down his cheek from his one good eye. He lifted himself on his elbows and knees, staring at Daichi in relief while shaking harder than Daichi had even seen.

"Sugawara Koushi is not your to touch," Daichi hissed, rooted to the spot as he shook with unbridled fury. "I will never forgive you! Suga, how would you ask me to curse them?"

"Daichi," Sugawara shuffled forward on his knees, one hand idly trying to drag his clothes into their rightful position, "Daichi, forgive them. I- it couldn't be helped, they have no one-" Reaching one hand out to touch Daichi, he stopped at Daichi's loud shriek.

"These are the townspeople you ask to be happy? These people who rape you?!" The trees shook with his anger now as Daichi raised his head to stare at the two men still watching even as they fell to the ground in terror. "Who would give you to a wandering god to be eaten, and then when you aren't, disrespect you so!"

"Yes." Bowing forward as low as he could go, Suga braced himself with both hands. "Forgive them. It can't be helped." The trees stilled, and Daichi felt the ground still. Sugawara lifted himself up again, bracing both hands on Daichi's foreleg. Eyes filled with water threatening to spill over, mouth barely open and lips shaking. Oh. Yes... He could not begrudge Sugawara anything.

"...Explain why, then." Again his gaze turned to the townspeople, which there were now a few more of. They must've come to see what was causing the disturbance. Even as he stared at them, he pulled Suga's yukata back into place idly with a wing.

"T-there is a lord in a castle not so far north from here." A man, probably the leader, stepped forward. He too had an eyepatch, though one made for the purpose unlike Suga's headband. "He has taken all the women from our town. Though, sometimes, those who cannot be of service anymore are sent back..."

"Hmm. I understand. Still..." Folding a wing around Suga, he dragged him closer. "Sugawara is protected by me, now. Lay another hand on him... Well, see what there is left of your town by the next dawn."

The townspeople wandered off quickly after that, muttering amongst themselves. Daichi sighed through his nose.

"Let's go back." Lifting his wing, Daichi turned back when he felt Suga cling to it. His face was flushed red across his cheekbones, tears no where to be found.

"Yeah." If Daichi could've reciprocated Suga's blush, he would have right then. Lifting Suga onto his back, he slowly began to make their way back to the shrine.

o~o~o

Settling Suga down in front of the shrine, Daichi looked at the covered eye again and thought.

"You know... The man back there also wore an eyepatch."

"There are a few others. It was the punishment for those of us who tried to bring the women back." Poor child. But, a very brave man. Lowering his head, he stared at the covered eye curiously.

"Was it crushed? Here, let me see."

Suga kept his head downturned as he finished removing the cloth. Setting it aside, he kept his gaze low. Daichi... he didn't really want Daichi to see the ugly scar. Barely registering the touch that brushed his hair away, he looked back up only to see a tan cheek and hair black as pitch.

Something smooth brushed against his scarred eye.

The face backed away for a moment, and all Suga saw was an open mouth with teeth a little too sharp, and some soft emotion upon the face before it was gone and Daichi was in it's place. Staring at Daichi bemused, the dragon coughed.

"Oh, we can turn into human form occasional. But only... sometimes. For special things." Suga could've sworn Daichi was fidgeting. That hot flushed crawled back onto his cheeks again. And... There was no pain in his bad eye? "But really, what awful people to do that to you!"

"I- I'm going to get some firewood," was all Suga got out before rushing away, nearly tripping once before darting out of sight.

"...Suga?" Staring after him, Daichi waited a few moments before starting to think.

...So. The person who had taken one of Suga's eyes was still out there, causing him pain. Well.

That would change.

That night, Daichi would let Suga fall asleep by his side, outside the shrine. He waited an hour after Suga truly fell asleep to sneak off into the night. The events of that night were never fully understood to any but Daichi, and he never told Suga of what he did.

Like all wandering gods, he had a place in the balance of things. Devouring a cruel lord's soul could be excused as just another duty.

Suga would wake up with Daichi still by his side, and stretch against his flank.

"Good morning," he would yawn out, a sleepy smile adorning his face. "I'll go get some water, okay?" Daichi grumbled at him, but nodded and watched him wander off.

Letting the river flow into the jug, Suga paused.

"It's louder in town...?" Wading across the river, he glanced down from the edge of the cliff and gasped. The women were streaming into the town, ones he recognized. Kiyoko, Yachi, Sayeko... The list went on. Abandoning the jug by the riverside, and ran back to the shrine as fast as he could.

"Daichi! Daichi, did you do something?"

"Huh?"

"The women are back!"

"Oh?" Folding his front paws together, Daichi seemed to be happy. "Suga... This means you don't have to be another man's companion, right?"

"Oh." Suga's face paled, even as he stared into Daichi's eyes.

"Suga, are you okay? Shouldn't you be celebrating?"

"Yes. I suppose... You'll want a proper woman now. R-right... I'll go back and-"

"Suga." Daichi's tone stopped him before he could start to back away. "Would you like to give me a try?"

"Eh?" Letting the words wash over him, Suga's color returned. "Um... I'll go take a bath! I have to wash up-" Turning away and sprinting, he was still easily caught by Daichi's tail. A tail which morphed into human arms.

"Must I wait for such things? You're fine, Suga." Burying his nose into the crook of Suga's neck, he breathed deeply while listening to Suga's astonished squeak. "Let's try."

"No. No, no-" Squirming, his cheeks flushed pink. "I'm dirty though! Let me-"

Daichi's calloused hand reached up swiftly and turned Suga's head to kiss him slowly. It was just gently motion, no wetness or tongue. When Daichi pulled away though, Suga was a deep cherry red.

"Then let me bathe with you, Suga."

"Daichi... Why are you doing this? I don't... I don't understand."

"We're going to make a child, Koushi." For a long while, Suga was silent and Daichi lifted him up and carried him to the river. After a while, Daichi cleared his throat when Suga's eyes were still wide as saucers. "I'm serious. This is why I can turn human."

"To make a child?"

"For love." Suga swallowed, tears forming in his eyes. Lowering them both into the river, Daichi kissed Suga's unopened eye. "Children are part of that for you, right?"

"C-children? As in plural?"

"Well. Whatever you want." Kissing just above Suga's open eye, Daichi groaned softly as their foreheads touched. "You're dangerous, Koushi."

Suga grinned slowly before leaning up and stealing another kiss.

o~o~o

Many seasons pass, and yet the dragon still remains near that small town. Though no longer a wandering god, Daichi still has the powers needed to be so. So a god of the land he became. Perhaps one day he will take up the mantle again. But for now...

Well, there were children to think of now. Suga was very pleased, even when they shifted between human and dragon form randomly.

In his sappier moments, Daichi liked to think the whole reason he'd become a wandering god was to meet Suga and find happiness here. It's not a wrong thought...


End file.
